


Eddie my love, your my world

by LoveisloveRusty



Category: IT - Stephen King, Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Abusive Parents, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - No Monsters, Crossover, Fluff, Gay, M/M, My First Fanfic, Not really angst but enough, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Richie Tozier Loves Eddie Kaspbrak, Tall Richie Tozier
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 12:07:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 4,944
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22066750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LoveisloveRusty/pseuds/LoveisloveRusty
Summary: After Richie is taken from his parents custody his aunt Karen is called. The wheeler family takes Richie in, and Mike isn't happy.Richie is glad to be away from his parents, but now hes away from his love, Eddie.(This won't focus on sad crap, promise.)
Relationships: Eddie Kaspbrak/Richie Tozier
Comments: 6
Kudos: 79





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first fic..... so yeah.

When Richie usually woke up sore with ringing of pain in his ears he would sit up in bed for a minute, before taking the short, but slow trip to the bathroom to clean out any cuts, and tape some cheap tissues over anything that wouldn't stop bleeding. It was usually his arms or stomach that hurt, sometimes possibly his head if he'd fallen over or hit it on something. 

Which is why when he sat up with a sharp pain in his ribs he immediately knew something was wrong. He opened his eyes quickly, the fast motion making the ache in his head, sting and burn his eyes. He expected to see his old, blue blinds barely covering the large window that sat at the bottom of his bed. He expected the smell of smoke and rotting wood from rain water. 

He did not expect to be in a hospital bed without his glasses. The smell of nothing in particular floating around him. He looked around the room from his hospital bed for a moment, trying to see any black blur that could possibly be his glasses or if someone was standing somewhere. When he saw nothing he looked to see if he had an IV like in the movies. Nope, no IV, but he did have a small black cast on his wrist. He moved his fingers slowly and slightly painfully and guessed it was only sprained. 

"Okay," he thought to himself, "I'm in a hospital, with hurt ribs, a sprained wrist, and a pounding headache. What happened?" 

He vaguely remembered his father getting mad at him after having way to much to drink. He remembered his mom still drinking, not paying any attention to her husband or son. 

"Shit," Richie said aloud. He looked to his bed side for one of those nurse call things, before he heard a person's voice.

"Oh, my! Oh, Debbie don't worry! I've found him! He's awake!" A larger lady with a south Carolina accent said really fast. A nurse was standing in the door a second later. He shifted a clipboard in his hands. 

The large woman wasted no time, she was standing over Richie in a moment subtly pushing him back so he was laying down. 

"How you feeling baby?" She asked with a cooing mother voice. 

Richie almost answered before the nurse interrupted,   
"Mrs. Mitchell please sit and wait for a moment." 

The woman, Mrs. Mitchell, pouted before heading over and plopping down on a bashe blob Richie assumed was a small couch. 

The nurse started asking questions and giving vague answers. 

"What's gonna happen to my dad?" Richie asked.   
"He and your mother will both be going to prison."  
Richie sighed, "Then what will happen to me?"   
"You'll be going to live with your aunt in Indiana."   
"Wait what?" Richie looked at the guy like he was insane, "That's like, forever away!"   
"Its only 17 hours." Mrs. Mitchell replied softly from the bashe blob.   
"What about my friends!?" Richie asked quickly.  
"Oh, yes right," the nurse had a sour expression, "they've been sitting in the waiting room all night, not very patiently I may add."   
"Can I see them?" Richie asked.   
Richie imagined all his friends scard and worried expressions.   
The nurse sighed, "Just one for now."   
Richie beamed, "Can you ask Beverly to come back?"


	2. Phone calls

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Who was at the phone now?

"Holly if you eat all your peas you can have two desserts!" Karen begged the four year old. 

"Why does she get two desserts for being a brat!?" Mike shouted. 

His mom sighed, "because I don't know what else to do!"   
"Your going to teach her to always behave like this to get what she wants!" Mike retorted.

"Your just want two desserts too," Nancy threw back.  
"Nanc' I don't need your help," Karen said tiredly, giving her husband a look to see if he'd like to jump in.   
"What?" Ted asked.

Before the argument could continue the phone rang.   
Everyone went silent and watched eachother.   
"Well?" Karen asked.

No one moved.

Karen through her hands up and let out a rangled groan, "Fine I'll get it!"   
She made her way over to the home phone in the kitchen that Ted insisted they keep. 'So they always knew where one was in case of emergency.' 

Karen picked it up, and oh my God, if it was a telemarketer. 

"Karen Wheeler?" A woman with a South Carolina accent asked from the other end of the phone.   
"Yes, this is she."  
"Hi, I'm Rachel Mitchell from child services, I'm calling about your nephew Richard Toizer." 

Karen's anger flashed away, and she motioned for Ted to come over. Then in a low voice she asked, "what's wrong? Did something happen?" 

Ted appeared behind her and listened in.   
"Ms. Wheeler your nephew Richie was taken out of your sister's care after being attacked by his drunken father, he's in the hospital, and will go into foster care, unless you can take him."   
The woman said that so easily, it was scary.   
"Oh god," Karen said hushed, so the kids couldn't hear from the table.   
She looked at her concerned husband then turned back to the phone speaker, "what do we have to do?"


	3. Chapter 3

For the past week Richie's friends had been in and out of his room, they were always miserable. Richie understood why they were upset. He was upset too. He didn't want to leave his friends, to go live with his Aunt Karen. 

He'd met her and her family only twice, once when he was eight, once when he was 13. 

Mrs. Mitchell had explained to him the plan. Aunt Karen would pick him up when he was discharged from the hospital Saturday morning. Then they'd drive all the way to Hankin's. 

Richie wouldn't let anyone know, but he was nervous to see his Anut again after three years.   
He wondered how much she'd changed. 

"Hey Richie," he heard from the door.  
"EDDIE SPAGHETTI!!" Richie called. 

He could tell Eddie was out of it, because he didn't even say anything about the old nickname.   
Richie moved over in the hospital bed and motioned for Eddie to sit next to him.   
Eddie immediately walked over and layed next to Richie on the bed. The front of the bed was risen so Richie could half sit up.   
Eddie rested his head on Richie's shoulder.   
"I'm gonna miss you so much," Eddie said.   
Richie wrapped an arm around the thin boy.   
"Hey, don't worry, I'm gonna call you every day. I couldn't stay away from Mrs. Kaspbrak for to long."  
"Beep beep Richie," Eddie said halfheartedly.   
Richie kissed his forehead softly.   
"How are you feeling?" Eddie asked.  
"Almost good as new!" Richie replied, even though his ribs still hurt like hell.   
"Promise not to find a new boyfriend down in Hawkins?" Eddie looked up at Richie sadly.  
"Oh my God, never in a million years!" Richie said completely serious. 

"Why does he have to stay in my room!?" Mike shrieked.   
Karen sighed "Well we got you some fun bunk beds, you always wanted those."  
Mike groaned, "Ya, when I was like six!"   
"Well sorry there isn't anywhere else!" Ted stepped in.   
"There's the couch," Mike muttered under his breath, but his mom still heard it.  
"Mike that is enough, if he feels like we don't want him he'll get more depressed then he already is."  
Mike rolled his eyes, "I don't want some horny teenager in my room! What if he smokes or sneaks in girls!?"   
"He's not going to," Karen said, "Don't say stuff like that!"   
"Your the one always sneaking in El," Nancy said from the couch.  
"You have!?" Karen shouted.  
"You know the rules! No girls in your room!" Ted said sternly.   
"This is so unfair!" Mike yelled.  
"No! You know what's unfair!? It's unfair that your Aunt and her husband abused him! Its unfair that he was kept in that Hell house for SIXTEEN YEARS!!!" Karen yelled right back.  
Mike went silent.  
"Go to your now shared room, your mom has to leave to go pick him up now," Ted said and Mike stromed off.


	4. Chapter 4

Stan and Ben had packed up all of Richie's stuff neatly and carefully. It was Saturday morning and Richie's aunt Karen would be there soon to pick him up. All of the losers were there to see him off. Eddie handed Richie a present.   
"Its from all of us," Eddie said, "open it when you get to Indiana."   
"Thanks everyone!" Richie said sadly. They all were crying. Richie was crying too.   
"Oh I can't!" Bev shouted before enveloping Richie into a huge hug. Soon the whole gang followed. They were all in a giant group hug when Karen pulled up. When she stepped out of the car Richie immediately recognized her. She looked the same as she did three years ago.   
She walked over to the group as the hug dispaned.   
"Richie! How are you!" She asked smile on face, worry behind eyes.  
"Peachy," he said. 

Mike and Ben helped Karen get the bags in the trunk.   
"Ready?" Karen asked.  
She waited patiently as Richie turned to his crying friends. First he hugged Mike, then Ben, Stan, Bill, Bev, and finally Eddie. Eddie hugged him as tight as he could and whispered in his ear, "I love you so much!"   
Richie let out a small sob and responded, "I love you, too." Then he pulled away and walked over to his Aunt who wore a pitiful expression.   
Richie waved once more to the losers before he got in the car and rode off. 

__________

Karen kept glancing over at Richie. It was two hours into the trip and Richie hadn't taken his ear buds out once. He was listening to music from an old ipod and clutching the new phone Karen had gave him, which he'd already put all his friends numbers into.

Everytime she looked over at the poor sixteen year old she saw a new cut or bruise. He still looked pretty beaten up. She sighed. She guessed it was time to make conversation.

"Hey Richard?" She asked.  
"You can call my Richie," he responded immediately, startling Karen. She wondered if he was actually listening to any music at all.   
"That red haired girl seemed nice," Karen started. She assumed she was his girlfriend seeing she was the only girl there.   
"She is, shes great," Richie responded, as he shuffled his legs slightly. Karen had been really surprised by how tall he was. He was a head taller then her. 

"Are you gonna keep talking to her?" Karen asked.  
"Of course, I'm going to keep talking to all of them!" Richie exclaimed.   
"What are they like?" Karen asked. She could tell Richie was proud of his friends.  
"Well, theres Mike, he's one of those people who is just to nice for there own good, and Ben is a chubby teddy bear, Stan is the sassiest Jew in town, Bill is a natural born leader, Beverly is one of the coolest people in the world, and then my boy Eddie is just the cutest little fireball."  
Karen let out a breathy laugh, "They sound like fun!" 

Richie suddenly turned a bit sad, "They really are," He had a far off look in his eye and Karen gave him a pitying glance.   
"Well with your new phone you can call them whenever you want!"   
Richie nodded in acknowledgement then went back to staring out the window.

________

About 5 hours in they stopped for gas. Richie immediately jumped out and headed over by the convince store.   
While Karen filled the car with more gas, Richie hid around the corner and pulled out a cigarette. It felt familiar in his hand. He thought back to a night he and Eddie sat up by the quarry and just kissed and talked all night long. He pulled his lighter from his jeans pocket, and lit the cigarette. Eddie hated that he smoked. But with his dad around he was always in need of an escape. Maybe he could finally try to quit after he'd gotten settled in.   
He heard Karen call his name after a while so he dropped the rest of the cigarette bud into the dirt and smushed it under his boot, before heading back to the car. 

"How you feeling?" Karen asked.  
"Don't worry Auntie, I'm all chappered up!" Richie said in an old British accent, as he got back into the old car.  
Karen shook her head slightly with a smile tugging at her lips. This kid was something else.


	5. Chapter 5

"When are they gonna get here?" Mike asked anxiously to Nancy. His father and Holly were both fast asleep on the couch, and the digital timer on the microwave read, 11:46 pm.  
"She said they'd get here late," Nancy replied, boredly picking at her nail polish.   
"Well it's late and there not here!" Mike shot back. Holly stirred slightly and Nancy hushed him.   
"Can you be annoying somewhere else?" Nancy asked giving him a nasty glare. 

Mike was about to shot a mean comment back when he heard a buzzer type sound. He recognized it as his ringtone and ran over to get it.   
The call number read 'El' and he quickly picked it up, walking to his room.

"Hey El!" He said excitedly.  
"Hey!" Her voice sounded slightly distorted through the phone. "Is he there yet?"   
"No not yet," Mike said with an annoyed sigh.  
"How old is he again?" She asked.  
"Sixteen, I haven't seen him for 3 years, I guess since I was Eleven."   
"Is he really staying in your room?"   
"Yep, we got the bunk bed all set up this morning. That means I can't sneak you in anymore unless he's out of the house," Mike paused then whispered into the phone, "Do you think he's gonna get a girlfriend and sneak her in, too?"   
"I don't know, maybe he'll be better at following the rules," El responded.  
Mike ignored the backhanded insult and continued on, "What if he smokes?"   
"Ew," Mike could almost see El's cute sour, scrunched up, grossed out face through the phone.   
"Maybe he has a girlfriend from Maine?" El said as a question.   
"I don't know, he might," Billions of weird scenarios flue through his head.   
"Well, I got to go, Dad doesn't like me talking this late," El said.  
Mike nodded even though he knew El couldn't see him.  
"See ya later," He said.  
"Yep!" Then she hung up


	6. Chapter 6

"Ok," Karen said, "here are the house rules."  
They were about ten minutes from the Wheeler residence.   
"Fire away!" Richie exclaimed in a undistinguishable accent.   
"First, no cussing."  
"Well that'll be a tough little shit to crack!" Richie said in another accent. Karen decided to just let that one slide.  
"Second, curfew is 9:30."   
She looked to Richie for any complaints, but he apparently had none.  
"Third, we have family dinners every Saturday and Sunday night, so no making plans after 5 o'clock. Fourth, you can't ever skip out on school work." Karen continued on, "Five, hygiene is super important."  
Richie gave a quick thumbs up to that.  
"Six, No girls alone with you in your bedroom, and Seven, if you need something don't be scard to ask."  
Richie was certain that last one was made special for him.   
And with that his Aunt Karen suddenly turned the car into a driveway.

Mike almost fell asleep until he saw headlights turning into the driveway.

"Dad! There here!" Mike yelled, unexcitedly.  
Ted woke up abruptly and Holly rubbed her tired eyes. Nancy ran out of the kitchen, where she'd been watching Netflix on her phone, to look out the window. 

The family waited expectingly from the living room until the door opened. In walked Mike's mom, and a second later a tall, thin boy with bruises all over. All Mike could really think was, "he's SUPER TALL!" and "Wow, that's a LOT of bruises."  
"Ted can you get Richie's bags from the car?" Ted nodded and walked out the door quickly. Mike just kind of sat there and Holly hid behind Nancy's leg.

"Nancy can you help your father?" She nodded the same way Ted had and quietly left after him.   
With no more hiding place Holly looked nervous and fidgety.   
Richie noticed and got down on one knee.

"Hey, Holly bear, you probably can't remember me, but I remember you!" Holly walked closer to him cautiously.  
"What happened to your face?" She asked.  
Karen was about to scold Holly for saying that, but Richie answered to fast.  
"Some mean, old, grumpy clown, but don't worry I took care of him so he can't hurt anybody now."   
Holly's eyes went big.   
"You did it by yourself!?" She asked excitedly.  
Richie nodded, "Of course, he was no match for me!"   
Holly giggled. 

Mike watched the exchange for a moment then started to walk away.   
"Where do you think your going?" Karen asked sternly bringing attention to his escape, "Come say hi to Richie and show him to your room!" 

Mike grumbled and motioned for Richie to follow him up the stairs. 

When they got to the room Mike told him he got the bottom bunk. Richie made no effort to disagree. 

"Did you have a girlfriend in Maine?" Mike asked suddenly.  
"Something like that," Richie said with a laugh.   
Richie thought of Eddie's cute little cheeks and button nose.   
"Well I have a girlfriend and when I have her over your not allowed in the room." Mike said matter-of-factly.   
Richie shrugged, "Got it, I don't care."

Mike gave him a pointed look, right before Ted and Nancy barged in with the bags.


	7. Chapter 7

Mike woke up to the sound of a dialing phone. He realized it was Richie calling someone. Mike looked to the clock hung on the wall which read 6:40. What was Richie doing calling someone so early.

The phone stopped dialing and Mike listened in.   
Of course Mike knew he'd only be able to hear Richie's side of the conversation. 

"Hey my love!" Richie said happily. This must be his girlfriend.  
"I'm settling in fine, though I wish you were here,"   
Mike rolled his eyes, he imagined Richie with some popular cheerleader girl with fake blonde hair. Nothing like El he thought with a smile.  
"Don't worry, I'm taking my medicine…"  
There was a long silence, then Richie said in a bit quieter voice, "Is your mom still asleep?" 

Mike wondered what kind of drama was with Richies girlfriends mom. Maybe she didn't like him.   
"Don't worry I haven't stopped thinking of you ever."   
"Sappy," Mike thought.   
"Ok, hugs and kisses!" Richie said sweetly.

This time Mike heard a voice on the other end say, "Love you."   
Mike rolled over to face the wall, if Richie really had a girlfriend, did Mike's mom know? Or was Richie hiding it.  
What if there planning to run away together? Well Mike didn't really care if Richie left. But he did think he should probably tell someone about this.


	8. Chapter 8

Richie came down the stairs for breakfast, taking 2 steps at a time. 

As soon as he came in Holly squealed and ran over to him. She grabbed the leg of his lose jeans to show she wanted him to pay attention to her. Richie didn't care, he knelt down and ruffled her hair. She squealed even louder and held on to his arm tightly.   
Ted was sitting at the wood kitchen table reading the newspaper, he was definitely stuck in the past. Karen was making a breakfast scramble at the stovetop across the room, and Mike was sitting at the breakfast table pretending to eat toast, while watching Holly clinging to Richie out of the corner of his eye.   
Richie stood up to his full height Holly hanging on his arm laughing hysterically. Nancy walked in and laughed quietly.  
"Nice, now you can be the babysitter," she laughed out.   
Richie smiled at that.  
Ted looked up, "Holly be careful, Richie still isn't fully healed up."  
Holly sighed as Richie slowly put her down on the ground.   
"Don't worry Holly Bear, I'll hang out with you later promise!" Richie said.  
Holly beamed and Karen plated the breakfast scramble.   
"Ok crazys," she said and set the breakfast on the table. Richie sat down at the only open spot to eat.   
"Ok Mike," Karen said, "Because its summer vacation you need to go out and do stuff, no just sitting around."  
Mike rolled his eyes.  
"And Nancy I'd like you to show Richie around," Ted said.  
"What?" Nancy asked startled.  
"Yep," Karen said, "No debate."  
Nancy sighed.  
Well today would be interesting.

Richie and Nancy were sitting on the couch, Nancy typing furiously.  
"Sooooooo," Richie said, "what are we waiting for?"   
"My boyfriend, Jonathan is picking us up, he's gonna help me show you around."  
"Ok cool," Richie said sitting back on the couch.   
"I'm coming too," Mike said, walking into the room.  
"Why?" Nancy asked suspiciously.  
"Because Will's coming with Jonathan."  
Nancy nodded then turned to Richie, "Will is Jonathan's little brother and one of Mike's friends."  
Richie nodded. 

A car pulled into the driveway a moment later and Nancy jumped up and grabbed her purse.  
Richie and Mike both hurried after her, barely able to keep up with her fast pace.   
Nancy was first to jump in the car then Richie got in right before Mike. 

"Hey! Your Richie?" Jonathan asked, turning around on his seat. A young boy, Mike's age was also sat in front and turned around. The kid saw him and his eyes went wide.   
"Richie this is Will," Nancy said.   
Will looked at Richie's bruises and then realized Richie knew he was staring. Will looked away kind of ashamed and pitying.   
Johnathan started the engine and they started the tour. 

"And that's our family's church, we go every Sunday so don't even think of skipping out," Nancy explained. Richie nodded in acknowledgement but he knew he'd still try to get out of it. 

"And that's the store my mom works at," Will pointed to a small store. 

The car was hot and Richie felt pretty cramped in between Nancy and Mike. Will must have noticed Richie's discomfort. 

"Can we get out and walk? I'm tired of sitting," Will said.  
"Ya, ya sure," Johnathan pulled into a close parking lot. They all got out of the car and Nancy and Johnathan lead the way, pointing out buildings and scenery. 

Mike and Will kind of fell behind and got to talking.   
"What do you think of Richie?" Mike asked.  
Will kind off looked off for a second.  
"He seems cool, I like him," Will said.  
"Well I think he's an ass," Mike spat.  
Will shrugged, "He doesn't seem so bad."  
"Oh ya? Well you try sharing a room with him," Mike muttered.  
"He's only been here one day, maybe it'll get better," Will said.  
"At breakfast Holly was hanging all over him, she loves him already," Mike grumbled.  
Will sighed, "Well maybe that's a sign you can trust him."  
Mike ignored Will's response, and stopped walking.  
"What?" Will asked.  
"I'm going to walk around a bit…. Somewhere else."  
Will hung his head slightly.  
"You know, you could try and be a little more sympathetic," Mike said sharply.  
"Mike I-" Will tried, but Mike turned and walked away.   
Will shook his head disapprovingly, and hurried to catch up with the older teens.

They'd been walking around for a while before ending up at the towns arcade.   
"Will, Mike, and all of there friends like to hang out here a lot," Johnathan said as they stopped across the street from it.   
"Well I think we've shown you everything, you guys want something to eat?" Nancy asked. Will nodded.  
"Always," Richie replied. 

They ended up going to a small fast food place. Not particularly healthy, but Richie wouldn't be complaining about that.   
Will and Richie sat at a booth, while Nancy and Johnathan ordered food up at the counter.

"What was Maine like?" Will asked curiously, and Richie leaned back in the booth slightly.   
"Well, Derry wasn't very big, not to exciting, but we still found ways to have fun."  
"Were you upset that you had to leave?"   
Richie nodded, "it was home."   
Will thought about that.  
"Everyone I loved was there," Richie explained.  
"Your parents?" Will asked.  
"Nope," Richie said, "my friends."  
Will smiled, "I can understand that."   
Richie laughed, "you seem like you have a good family, you should really appreciate that."  
"That's why you left, right?" Will asked sadly.   
Richie nodded and lifted up the side of his shirt. Revealing a huge black and dark red bruise that snaked up his side.   
"Your dad did that!? Why!??" Will whisper shouted, eyes wide.   
"He didn't really have a good reason, he'd been drinking, I hadn't done the dishes, I'd been out all day." Richie dragged out the sentence.   
"Out all day?" Will asked.  
"Not like he was home, but he'd gotten back before me, and mom had told him how long I'd been gone, so he got mad anyway."  
Will was silent for a moment, "what were you….. doing all day?"   
"I was with my love all day. I missed curfew by quite a bit."  
"Does that mean you had to leave your girlfriend when you moved here? Was she upset?"   
"Cried, cried for a long, long time." Richie had a far off look, and Will was silent for a second too. Just in his head.   
Until Richie suddenly spoke again,  
"Can I tell you a secret?"   
Will nodded.  
"I didn't have a girlfriend," Richie said, looking Will straight in the eye.  
Will gave him a super confused look, like Richie just told him a complex riddle.   
"You… What?" Will breathed out, in confusion.  
"Have a boyfriend," Richie said.  
"Oh… OH!" Will's eyes widened.  
"Does that upset you?" Richie asked almost jokingly, but still serious in a way.   
"No, no I….. I think I might be…. gay."   
Richie smiled and nodded.   
"What is his name?" Will asked, "your boyfriend I mean."   
"Eddie," Richie answered.  
And right after that Johnathan and Nancy plopped the food on the table.   
"That took forever!" Nancy complained.  
"Hope Will didn't annoy you to much!" Johnathan joked.  
"No way! this kid? Never!" Richie said and gave Will a wink.   
Will smiled shyly before turning to his food.


	9. Chapter 9

Mike had made it back home, and was on his bed, phone in hand. 

He immediately dialed Dustin's number. 

"Heyyyyyyyyyyy-" Dustin's voice slurred and dragged out on the other end of the line.   
"I'm already sick of Richie!" Mike launched right into it.

Dustin laughed on the other end, "ok."

" Nancy, Jonathan, will and I were showing him around and I ditched them. Then a few minutes ago he texted me!! Probably got my number from one of the others!"

Mike proceeded to read the text out loud.

"From asshole, To Mike!"

Asshole,  
'Sorry for boring you away e-boy'   
'We about to hit the arcade and imma beat your street fighter high score!!!'

Dustin burst out in a fit of giggles.  
"He called you e boy!!!!" 

"Yes jerk I can see that!" Mike responded, annoyed. 

"I like him already!" Dustin exclaimed.

"Oh ya!? Well this morning I heard him on the phone with his girlfriend from back in Derry!" Mike said.

"So?" Dustin asked.

"So, I'm pretty sure my mom doesn't know he has a girlfriend! I think they might run away together!! So if I tell my mom, I could get him in lots of trouble!!!"

Dustin was silent on the other end for a moment.   
"I actually…. Have to go, my mom sounds mad, talk later!" 

Then he hung up. 

Mike grumbled to himself.   
Guess he was on his own.

*time skip- that night right before family dinner*

Karen was busy at the stove, slaving away. This dinner was important. It was Richie's first dinner with the family. Karen wanted it to be perfect, with absolutely no slip ups or catastrophes.   
To bad Mike didn't feel quite the same.   
As Karen chopped vegetables, Mike came up behind her. Everyone else was off doing other things so Mike decided to introduce the girlfriend thing. 

"Hey mom, I heard Richie on the phone early this morning."  
Karen sighed, "ok." She said, as she focused on the veggies.   
"I think he was talking with his girlfriend."  
Karen didn't answer, not to be rude, but because she was deep in thought and was almost finished with dinner.   
"I think he might run away with her."

At that Karen stopped and turned around.  
"Mike, please don't bring this up at dinner,"  
"But-"  
"Please, just don't, I'll talk to you about it later."  
With that Karen called for dinner.

Richie was in his room. He had a small wrapped gift in his hands. He couldn't believe he forgot his friends had given him this.   
He unwrapped it slowly, revealing a framed picture of the losers in the clubhouse, all big smiles and laughs.   
Richie smiled and set the picture up beautifully on the nightstand.   
In the photo Bev and Ben were on the right, Bev giving him a peck on the cheek. Then in the back Mike had his arms around Stan and Bill, Stanley had on a fake scowl and Bill and Mike were laughing. Last of course Richie and Eddie were in front, Eddie was in Richie's lap, and Richie was giving him bunny ears. On the back of the frame, carved into the wood was a message from everyone, "The losers love you!!!" 

"DINNER!" Came a shout from downstairs.

Richie stood up and mentally prepared.  
This could go good, or terribly bad.


End file.
